Impulses
by rangeman girl
Summary: A little smut piece starring Stephanie and Lester.


Impulses.

By: A. Cosentino

Standard Disclaimers. I don't own them, just playing with them. Smut and language warning.

_Horoscope for February 11, 2009:__This is a day to play it safe -- you should follow your more conservative impulses._

As I sat sipping my morning coffee, conservative impulses weren't the kind of impulses I had on my mind. My thoughts were drifting more toward the wild and reckless kind.

I wanted Santos.

Bad.

He had made it more than clear that he wanted me too. His sexual innuendos didn't fall of deaf ears, or the subtle flashing of his gorgeous body as if tempting me to take a look, or taste.

So what's the problem you ask?

I'm sure for most women there wouldn't be a problem. Most women would jump on that and ride as if they were vying for the Triple Crown. But, unfortunately, I'm not most women. There are complications. I don't do casual sex for one. I tried it in the past and walked away feeling dirty, and not in a good way. The other major obstacle in my path was Ranger.

Whatever relationship I had with Ranger was the definition of complicated. He is my mentor, friend and one time lover. Talk about mixing business with pleasure or dipping in the company ink. The one night we'd spent together was still burned into my brain, and every time I looked at him the image of his overpowering body, hovering over mine, his tongue sweeping a path of destruction across my lower stomach always clouded my vision.

That being said, I should probably elaborate on Ranger and I's current situation. We don't have one. For six months he'd backed off completely. The times I'd seen him, the spark of sexual tension that was always in his eyes whenever we were together was gone.

He'd apparently had enough of our cat and mouse game. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I miss him, and while we still remain friends, we both know that our opportunity for anything more has passed.

I wish my hormones would get the memo.

I knew that we wouldn't play our little game forever, but somewhere in the back of my mind I expected it to end with a bang. Something dramatic that would define the line between us. I didn't get that. Instead it ended with a whimper, but the line is firmly in place.

So I guess upon examination, Ranger really isn't a problem.

The only other obstacle is Joe. But since I haven't been with Joe in almost a year, and he's dating Carla Donatella, he really isn't a problem either. This brings me back full circle to the casual sex thing.

I sighed deeply, and took a long sip of coffee. Would I really be able to keep my emotions in check? Distance myself from the physical part? Probably not. The truth of the matter is that I know what Santos is. It's like a giant flashing billboard for the whole world to see. He's hot, sexy, unbelievable gorgeous, but the flashing sign that says 'PLAYER' in bright red, sparkly letters is always looming. Maybe that's what makes him so attractive? Knowing that one woman has never been able to wrangle him in for any period of time.

I have to admit, it appeals to that little part inside of me that hates to walk away from a challenge. I glanced back down at the newspaper on the coffee table. "This is a day to play it safe -- you should follow your more conservative impulses."

Even though the celestial beings of the universe were trying to tell me something, my mind was made up. I was going to head down this reckless path, head first, and hope that I made it out on the other side.

Part 2- Execution of Plan.

I wish I could say that I was one of those timeless beauties. The kind that never has to work at making the opposite sex find them attractive. While I know I do have some attractive features, I wouldn't call myself beautiful by any means.

I'm reasonably tall at 5'8, and on a good week I'm somewhere between 130-135lbs. My outrageously curly brown hair has always been a pain in my ass, but after all these years I've finally found a way to tame it into submission. I have wide, bright blue eyes, and a light, creamy skin tone.

I may not be Angelina Jolie, but I'm not the freaking Elephant Man either.

Standing before my closet, I contemplated what would best show off my assets. Santos usually has women falling all over him, and I knew I was going to have to stand out from the crowd. I gazed into my closet, unable to decide what outfit would do the trick. Should I go all out slutty? Or maybe a little conservative with a sexy edge? In a perfect world it wouldn't matter what I wore, my hotness would trump anything. But this isn't a perfect world.

I decided on something a little slutty. It was an outfit that I'd worn working a distraction once before. It worked then, and I was hoping it would work now. Mid-thigh black pleated wrap around skirt, a tiny red strappy tank top, and a pair of black 4 inch fuck me heels. I finger combed my hair, letting the curls cascade down my back. A little black around the eyes, couple swipes of the mascara wand, two coat of Revlon 'Kiss me Red' lipstick, and a little spritz of Dolce & Gabbanna Light Blue and I was out the door.

I had done a little research on Mr. Santos, and had found out that he liked to hang out at a little club downtown called Roma, just off Chambers on Franklin. I knew of the place, but had never been, and thanks to Lula doing a little snooping, I knew he would be there. I took a cab over there setting up my plan for asking him for a ride.

I paid the cab driver and headed inside. It was a small place, with a nice backlit bar, dance floor, and it was packed. I made my way through the crowd and over to the bar. The bartender greeted me immediately and I ordered margarita on the rocks with lots of salt. I scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of Santos.

My gaze followed a crowd of women converged at the end of the bar. He, of course, was in the middle of them. I watched him for a few moments, sipping my drink, trying to decide my approach. He glanced in my direction, and quickly locked his gaze on me. I saw his eyes widen and I smiled as I licked the rim of my glass slowly, dropping a wink in his direction.

He blinked a few times then flashed his infamous lop-sided grin, a dimple appearing in his left cheek. He excused himself from the throng of women and made his way over to me. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves as I watched him approach. He looked eatable. Dressed in a pair of dark slacks, light blue dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up a couple of times exposing his tan, muscular forearms, his hair mussed, and as he slid next to me, I caught his scent. It was all I could do to keep from licking the patch of gleaming tan skin exposed from the open collar of this shirt.

"You working a distraction tonight?" he asked leaning closer to me so he could be heard over the loud music.

I batted my eye lashes up at him and smiled. I leaned close to him, almost touching and put my lips close to his ear. "You tell me, is it working?"

He looked down at me and smiled. "Honey, you could distract a blind man in the outfit. You sure as hell caught my attention. I haven't seen you in here before."

"I haven't been in here before. It's good to try new things," I said, licking more salt off the rim of my glass before taking a sip. I watched as Santos tracked the progression of my tongue across the rim of the glass. His deep hazel eyes turned a shade darker.

"It sure is," he said huskily, his full lips quirking up at the corners. He leaned in close to me, his arm snaking around the back of my bar seat.

I smiled fully up at him. I felt a flush settle across my body at the closeness of him. I felt a twinge between my thighs and I clenched them together slightly. Santos' gaze dropped to my lap and I scissored my thighs together. His eyes turned darker and he brought them back up to lock with mine. I was trying to send every signal I could think of; short of writing 'fuck me' on my forehead.

"Who's the lucky guy?" he asked with a chuckle. I gazed at him, smiling. He looked at me for a moment, his eyes widening when I didn't respond. "Me?" he said unbelieving.

"Maybe," I shrugged and finished my drink. "You interested?"

Santos looked down at me for a long moment. Slowly, a stunning smile graced his full lips. "You know what your doing gorgeous?"

"Oh yeah," I breathed, attempting to quiet my quivering nerves. With him being this close, it was hard to breath, much less think. Santos leaned down closer to me, looking me directly in the eye.

"You're playing with fire Stephanie."

I shrugged as if this was a common occurrence for me, and in some ways it was. "Maybe I like to danger," I said, attempting to be coy.

He chuckled, the sound reverberating from deep within his well defined chest. "I can believe that."

I licked my bottom lip slowly, tasting the salt lingering from my finished margarita. I watched his eyes follow the path of my tongue, and I felt a surge of confidence. "So are you game?" I asked, watching him closely.

The smile that he gave me dampened my panties, causing me to squirm a little more. "Honey, I was born to play the game."

I reached into my purse and pulled $10 and laid it on the bar. "Then what are we still doing here?" I asked, sliding off the barstool, brushing my hip against his thigh. I watched as his shoulders stiffened slightly, his eyes watching every move I made. "So are you taking me home?" I asked, moving away from the bar, bushing my whole torso against him in the process.

Santos chuckled. "You need a ride?"

"Definitely," I answered giving him what I hoped was come hither smile.

"Then I'm your man," he said, moving to tower over me. I turned and felt him slip his hand onto the small of my back as we made our way out of the crowded club. As we exited, the cool night air did nothing to stop the flush that surged through my body. He steered me towards his black Escalade parked at the curb. He opened the passenger door and I slid inside, noticing how his gaze traveled the length of my legs and up my body before he shut the door.

I took a couple of deep, encouraging breaths as I waited for him to climb behind the wheel. As he climbed inside he gave me a smile that caused my heart to flutter in my chest.

He'd taken the bait. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was in trouble.

Part 3- Reaping the Rewards.

As Santos pulled into my parking lot and killed the engine, some of my bravado from earlier began to fade, and my mind began to doubt if this was really such a stellar plan after all. I thought back to my horoscope this morning. Right now I was wishing I'd followed my more 'conservative impulses'.

He hopped out and came around to open my door. I was thankful for that because I didn't know if I could have opened it with my trembling hands. As I slid out of his SUV, he placed his hands on my waist to steady me.

"Thanks," I said chancing a glance up at him. His gaze was locked on me and as I tried to step away, his grip tightened.

"You sure you want to do this Steph?" he asked, watching me closely.

I took a deep breath. I'd come this far, and knew that I couldn't turn back now. The wheels were in motion and all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride. Literally. I licked my suddenly dry lips. "Do you?" I countered.

His eyes glinted in the dim parking lot light and a predatory like grin transfixed his full mouth. "Honey, I've been waiting for this for a long, long time."

"Really?" I managed to squeak.

"Really."

Looking up at him I felt some of my bravado come back. As long as I kept reminding myself that this was a game, I could play. "Then what are we waiting for?"

He chuckled and stepped to the side, allowing me to pass. I led the way up the stairs to my apartment. With my trembling fingers I somehow managed to slide the key into the lock. I walked inside my tiny apartment and flicked on a light. I turned and saw Santos standing in my foyer. He seemed massive. Overpowering.

Ranger isn't a slouch, and Morelli isn't tiny either, but Santos had about 2-3 inches on them both. It was funny how I never really noticed how much bigger he was until now. I dropped my purse onto the back of the chair in my living room. I felt anxious having him in my space.

He stood close, gazing down at me. He brought his hand up and gently caressed the side of my face. I felt my body flush at the slight caress, and heat suffuse my cheeks. He leaned in down, his full, luscious lips inches from mine. "What brought all this on Steph?" he whispered, his warm breath fanning over my face.

"My horoscope," I whispered back, caught up in the spell he was weaving.

He chuckled softly. "Taking advice from celestial beings?"

"Something like that," I breathed.

"I can get with that," he said softly.

His lips caught mine, his tongue sweeping inside, pulling a long groan out of me. I grasped his shoulders, pulling myself tight against him. He felt like a furnace with the heat that was radiating off of him. I whimpered as his strong arm wound around my waist, lifting me against his chest. His other hand moved down to grasp my ass cheek, squeezing, causing me to gasp. His strong hand moved down my thigh, and he cocked my knee up against his hip. I could feel his massive erection pulsing against my stomach, and I stifled a groan as I ground against him.

"Damn," he breathed, breaking the contact of our lips. He wove his hand into my hair, his fingers tightening slightly at the base of my skull. He guided my head back and stared down at me intently. "This is your last chance to say no," he whispered, his tongue sweeping across my lower lip.

"I want this," I said, my voice cracking with the desire pulsing through my body.

"Good," he answered, pulling my hair a little tighter. I arched my back, pressing my breasts to his chest. He dropped my knee and slid his forearm under my ass. He lifted me effortlessly, still keeping a tight hold on my hair and carried me into the bedroom. He laid me on the bed, and loomed over me. "Is there anything I should know before we go any further?" he asked, leaning down to nibble on my lower lip.

"I'm on the pill."

"Good to know, but that's not what I meant. Is there anything that you're not into? Anything that is off limits?" His dark eyes bore into me with an intensity that caused a shiver to trace up my spine.

"Well," I said slowly. "I'm not into doggy style."

Santos smirked at me. "That's a damn shame. Anything else?"

I felt a flush settle on my cheeks. It seemed strange to be having a conversation like this when I was so hot and bothered. He was the first guy who had ever taken the time before hand to ask these questions. "Um, well, no butt stuff," I blurted out.

"I never took you for a puritan Steph," he chuckled low in his chest.

"I'm not," I started to protest, but he silenced me with a quick kiss.

"Just trust me, gorgeous," he whispered against my lips. "I want to show you just how good it can be."

Any coherent thought that I had flew out the window as his hand untangled from my hair and smoothed over my chest, grasping my breast, squeezing slightly. I shifted my thighs, making room for his massive body between them. He kissed his way down my chest, sliding his hand up my shirt to tweak my already hard nipple through the satin on my demi bra. I gasped at the sharp tang of pain mixed with a heady feeling of desire.

Lester released me and moved to his knees. He took my left leg and slide my shoe off, nibbling on my ankle, his bright hazel eyes watching me as he slide off my other shoe. He kissed up my inner calf, nibbling behind my knee as he unfastened my skirt. He pulled the skirt out from under me and gazed down at my tiny black thong. My breath caught in my throat as the moved to lick me, pulling the tiny string of the thong in between his teeth. His hands pushed up my tank top, and before I realized, it was discarded of his shoulder.

I gazed up at him, my chest heaving from the sensations coursing through me. He tugged my bra down, hooking it under my breasts, causing them to thrust up toward him. I gasped as his tongue flicked over one hard nipple, his fingers slowly tracing the path of the tiny string of my thong. He bit down on my nipple, once again stunning me with the slight twinge of pain.

His fingers slipped inside my panties, slowly probing my drenched folds. "So wet," he mumbled, and I moaned in response. "I think you like it a little rough," he grinned up at me. He tweaked my right nipple between his thumb and forefinger, stretching it, causing it to sting. I groaned and tried to arch into him. "Yeah, you do. Don't worry sugar; I got just what you need."

I sat up and tugged his shirt out of his slacks. "I know you've got what I need," I said, quickly unbuttoning it and smoothing it over his massive shoulders. I bit my lip as I gazed at his rock hard, well defined, bronze chest. Each muscle rippled with every movement he made as he discarded his shirt and moved to stand beside the bed. His trousers and boxers quickly followed suit, and he stood before me.

Dear Lord in heaven, I thought as I let my gaze travel up his body. His long tan legs bulged with strength, his washboard abs and hip muscles were rigid, and holy shit…..His massive erection stood proudly, curving waist high. I gasped as I saw it twitch.

"He likes you," he said grinning.

"I think I'm gonna like him too," I breathed.

"I can garun-fucking-tee that." He moved quickly, reaching out and grasping the strings of my thong and tugging. I heard and felt the fabric rip away and my heart beat raced up another notch. He pulled me behind my knees until my ass rested on the edge of the bed. I watched as he dropped to his knees, pressing my thighs wider.

His finger traced a slow circle around my clit and I shivered with need. I arched toward him, needed more of his touch. He moved to kiss my inner thigh, sucking the skin in between his teeth, marking me. I felt a gush of moisture seep out as I arched my hips and I moaned in response. When his tongue touched my dripping folds, I cried out, already teetering on the brink of a massive orgasm.

The roughness of his 5 o'clock shadow brushed against my over sensitized skin, causing me to squirm as he laved my clit, pushing me closer to the brink. I wound my fingers into his short mussed hair, urging him on. He grunted in response, and applied more pressure. His fingers bit into my hips, pulling me tighter against his scorching mouth.

I came in a wave, my body arching, my cry echoing through the small room. As the tremors wracked through my body, I cried his name, begging for more. Lester surfaced for air a short time later. I lay on the bed, weak and pliable; my body humming from the massive orgasm. He looked down and me and gently rolled me over onto my stomach.

I stiffened when I realized the position I was in. "Santos," I started to protest.

"I want you to trust me Stephanie." He leaned down, dragging his tongue up my spine. "Can you do that? Can you trust me?" He whispered into my ear. My breath caught as me pulled on my hips, bringing me up onto my knees. I could feel his massive cock probing at my entrance. "Does that feel good Steph? Imagine how it will feel buried inside of you. Do you want that? Yeah, you do," he said, his voice full of gravel.

I whimpered, unsure of my current position. I did want him buried inside of me, but was torn at the submissiveness of my position. It felt strange, scary and exciting all at the same time. I'd never allowed any man I'd been with this kind of power over me, and the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got.

"I won't hurt you Steph," he whispered softly. I knew that he wouldn't hurt me, but hearing him say it helped to alleviate some of my doubt. "Trust me, you'll like it." He thrust against my opening again, just slipping the head inside. It felt so amazingly good I found myself pushing back against him, trying to take more of him inside of me. "See? You know you want it."

"Yes," I hissed and arched my back. I was rewarded by him slipping in another inch.

"That's it. Tell me you want it."

I gasped as he inched in further. "I want it," I rasped, overwhelmed by the need shooting through me. "Please," I begged. I raised myself up onto all fours, my arms quaking with the desire coursing through me.

Santos buried himself inside of me, filling me to the brink. I cried out and threw my head back, arching my whole body at his invasion. "Nice and slow Steph," he ground out. He withdrew and eased himself back inside of me.

"Oh God," I groaned. "It feels so good!"

"It gets better," he said in a husky voice. He withdrew again and thrust into me harder, going deeper than I would have ever thought possible. He grasped my hip tightly, pulling me back hard onto his cock. I shuddered as a miniorgasm washed through me, and I quickly picked up the rhythm and pace that he'd set.

I felt his fingers brush against the side of my face and I turned my lips into his palm, kissing it lightly. He slid his finger into my mouth and I took it greedily, sucking and licking it. I heard him groan deeply, and he surged inside of me harder. I gasped at the intense sensations. Lester withdrew his finger from my mouth and I felt his other hand slip down my stomach, brushing against my already swollen clit.

As I thrashed against him at the new parade of sensation, I felt something probing me. _THERE._ I froze. "Deep breaths, beautiful. Trust me on this. I can make it so good for you," he said, his voice harsh with sexual need.

"I don't…" I stared, but stopped as I felt the increase of pressure. I was freaked out, but so totally turned on at the same time, I wasn't sure what to do.

"Just go with it honey," he said, increasing the pressure on my ass as his finger slipped inside. I whimpered at the strange feelings. But when his left hand reassumed the assault on my clit, I was lost. The trifecta that he was throwing on me was unexpected, but I took his advice and went with it. He hadn't steered me wrong so far.

I could feel the orgasm building in my lower stomach, sending out shockwaves through my entire body. Lester increased his thrusts as if sensing that I was on the brink. His finger buried deep in my ass moving in tandem with his cock. The orgasm shot through me, exploding in the back of my brain. I screamed as the exquisite pleasure washed over me, better than any I'd ever had before.

"Fuck _yessss_," I heard Santos groan as he pushed himself even further inside of me, triggering another wave of undulations through my body. My heart pounded in my chest, black dots danced before my eyes. I tossed my head, arched my back and ground down on him even more. My whole lower body clenched, triggering Santos' orgasm. "Shit," he ground out between clenched teeth as I felt him pulsate inside of me.

As he pulled out of me, I collapsed face first onto the bed, arms and legs quivering.

I knew it would be good. But I never imagined it would be like this.

Part 4- Basking in the Glow

Santos stretched out beside of me, propped up onto his arm. He smoothed my unruly curls out of my face and grinned down at me.

"How we doin'?" he asked, a Cheshire cat grin on his face. As I was unable to even begin to put it into words how I was feeling, a grinned back at him. "That's what I thought," he chuckled. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. "Told ya," he whispered against my lips.

I rolled over onto my back and stretched, realigning my spine and stretching my legs. "That was unbelievable," I said, my voice still breathless.

"You weren't half bad yourself."

I swatted his arm and frowned up at him. Santos laughed loudly and rolled over on top of me, pinning me down with his weight. I purred at the close contact, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He kissed me lightly, running his tongue across my lower lip. "Wanna go again?" he asked.

My heart leaped at the thought. "Give me a few ok?" I said, closing my eyes and sighing in contentment.

He chuckled and rolled off of me. "That's what I like to see. A woman who looks well fucked."

"I am that," I said rolling over to face him.

This was the part that I'd been concerned about all along. No matter how many times I had told myself that this was just a hook up, no emotions involved, I could feel something in my chest that told me different. I beat down the feeling, reminding myself once again that this wouldn't last. It was a one shot deal.

Santos smiled at me and pulled me closer, throwing his leg across both of mine.

"You make me want to cuddle," he said, laughter tingeing his voice.

"I would have never pegged you for a cuddler," I teased, burying my nose into his chest, inhaling his essence.

"I'm not. That's what's so trippy about this whole thing," he answered, his tone taking a serious edge. I pulled away and looked up at him. His bright hazel eyes were watching me closely. "We need to talk Steph."

A feeling of dread washed over me. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Yeah. It is."

"I knew the rules going into this. We're cool," I said, hoping that my disappointment didn't come through.

"Did you?" he asked softly, stroking his fingertip down my cheek.

I swallowed hard. "Yeah."

He sighed and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "I did too. But I think the rules may have changed."

I sat up in bed, shocked at his words. I looked down at him, wondering where his thought process was going. "W-what?" I stuttered.

Lester rolled over and looked up at me. He didn't say anything, just stared at me for a long moment. "Come on Steph. You know what I'm trying to say."

I knew I was wearing a shocked look on my face as I shook my head no. He sighed and sat up in bed. "I dig you. I think you're an awesome woman. You've got to know I've been feeling you."

"I had no idea," I answered truthfully. It was inconceivable to me that Santos could like me more than a fuck buddy kind of thing. True, he flashed his gorgeous body several times, but I took it as 'Look at what I got'. I never dreamed that it could mean something more.

He laughed and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "I didn't think I was being too subtle about it."

I felt a blush climb up my cheeks. "I thought you were just, well, being you."

He flashed me a heart stopping smile as he climbed out of bed. "I'm always me, Steph," he said pulling on his boxers and slacks. I watched the defined muscles of his back ripple with each movement. He pulled on his dress shirt and glanced over at me, a serious light in his eyes. "Listen, I'm not trying to put any kind of pressure on you. If this was what you wanted, then I'm cool with that. All I'm saying is that if you wanted more, well I'd be cool with that too."

My jaw dropped. "But you're a player," I blurted out. "Players don't do relationships."

He chuckled and walked over to me. He leaned down and kissed me lightly, smoothing my hair back in the process. "Maybe I'm tired of playing the game," he said softly. My mind was a jumbled mess as I watched him slip his shoes on. Of all the things I'd expected, this went above and beyond anything I could have imagined.

"Just think about it," he said walking toward the bedroom door. He turned and smiled at me. "Damn you look good wrapped in that sheet."

I slid out of the bed and stood. Santos' eyes roamed over every part of my body, his hazel eyes darkening as he took me in. "What if I do want more?" I asked.

"Then we give it a shot, see where it goes. No pressure."

I took a step closer to him. "What if I want more now?" I asked, my voice taking on a husky quality I didn't know it possessed.

"You askin' me to stay?" he growled low in his chest.

"Maybe."

He growled and reached me in two steps. Grabbing me and hoisting me up, he smiled. "Then I'm your man."

As we tumbled back onto the bed, I wondered where this road would take us, but the excitement of the unknown was hard to say no to.

Part 5- The Morning After

My eyes opened slowly when I heard the shower turn on. I blinked a few times and glanced at the clock. It was just after 8am, way to early for my standards, and I rolled over and stretched. I couldn't stop the enormous smile that seemed to be plastered to my face. I felt incredible, relaxed, sated, and unbelievably happy, border lining blissful.

I sat up in bed and brushed my crazy bed hair out of my eyes. My bedroom was in shambles. Clothes, both mine and Santos' were strewn about the room. The comforter was kicked off the end of the bed, and the mattress was sitting cockeyed on the box springs. I stretched my arms above my head, and smiled.

I heard the shower turn off and within a couple of minutes Santos strode into my bedroom, a towel draped haphazardly around his hips. He grinned at me as he scrubbed his hands through his damp hair, causing it to stick up in all directions.

"Mornin' beautiful."

"Mornin," I purred. I smiled at him brightly and stretched again, causing the sheet to slip down to my waist.

"Honey, you've gotta stop doing that. I've got to go to work today, and if you keep stretching like that, I might be forced to take a sick day."

I laughed and climbed out of bed, stretching again. I smiled at him as his eyes turned a shade darker, and his nostrils flared. "You do look a bit flushed," I teased as I walked toward the bathroom.

He growled low in his throat and swatted me on the ass as I walked by. "Go take a shower."

"Will you be here when I get out?" I asked.

"Try and stop me," he quipped, pulling on his boxers.

I smiled the smile of a truly satisfied woman as I closed the bathroom door. As I climbed under the scorching spray, my mind wandered over everything that had happened the previous night, and this morning.

There was no doubt about Santos' sexual abilities. He was a master. But the little wrench he'd thrown at me last night was still sitting in the back of my brain. Did I want this to be something more?

I'd never even really allowed myself to go there, but I had to admit, it was a very tempting prospect. He'd said no pressure, and true to his word, hadn't mentioned it again. But I felt that it needed to be addressed, and given that I usually deferred to the theory that if you procrastinate long enough, it goes away, this was a pretty bid deal.

I shut off the shower and stepped out. Santos had been totally up front with me and I felt that I owed him the same. I towel dried my hair and wrapped a towel around me. I stepped out into my bedroom and quickly got dressed. I could smell coffee coming from the kitchen, and followed my nose.

Santos was sitting at the bar, munching on a bowl of Captain Crunch. He smiled at me as I walked in and headed to the coffee pot. I sat down next to him, startled at how right this felt. "What are your plans for today?" he asked, taking another bite of cereal.

"The usual," I replied. "You?"

"My shift starts at 10. I'm off at 2200."

"2200?"

He grinned at me and slurped the milk out of the bowl. "10 pm."

"Long day," I commented as he stood and took his bowl to the sink. He leaned against the counter and looked over at me.

"Perks of the job."

"Yep," I replied, biting my bottom lip. I felt comfortable with him being in my space, but felt that the awkward moment that I'd been dreading was upon us. "Listen Santos," I started, attempting to find the right words. "About last night….."

"I meant what I said Steph. No pressure. It is what it is."

Leave it to Lester to sum every thing up in five words. It felt good. Uncomplicated. Not at all like the numerous scenarios that I'd played in my head. "I've been thinking…." I started.

"Don't do that. You'll just fuck it up," he chuckled. He pushed off the counter and walked over to me. He cradled my face in his hands. "No pressure. We'll take it one day at a time. You know how to get a hold of me," he said, leaning down and kissing me lightly.

"Yes, I do," I purred, quickly getting ready for round 10. He smiled and pulled away.

"I gotta run."

"I know," I said watching him walk toward the door. He opened it and glanced back over his shoulder.

"Have a good day, beautiful. I hope to hear from you." With that he walked out, closing the door behind him.

I smiled and glanced down at the newspaper that Santos must have swiped from across the hall. The horoscope section caught my eye and I quickly found mine.

_Horoscope for February 12, 2009- Today is the day that all your hard work pays off. Don't be afraid of the challenges ahead. _

I laughed, thinking that the celestial beings must be smiling down upon me.

He'd be hearing from me.

That was for damned sure.


End file.
